The Diocese of St. Cloud will host a virtual Stewardship Week on three consecutive mornings, Aug. 25-27. The theme of the free event Is “Gathered, Nourished and Sent.” All sessions will be available via Zoom.
“Due to the pandemic, we are transitioning this year’s Stewardship Day from an in-person event to a virtual Stewardship Week,” said Joe Towalski, diocesan director of communications and development. “The sessions are free and open to anyone interested in fostering a deeper commitment to stewardship in their own lives and in their parishes and Area Catholic Communities, particularly during these challenging times.”
The schedule is as follows:
- Tuesday, Aug. 25, 9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.
“The Road to Emmaus: The Spirituality of Stewardship” with Father Tom Knoblach, pastor of Sacred Heart in Sauk Rapids and Annunciation in Mayhew Lake.
Father Knoblach will unpack the familiar walk to Emmaus and how it outlines the four pillars of stewardship: hospitality, prayer, formation, and service.
- Wednesday, Aug. 26, 9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.
“The Four Pillars in Your Community” — hospitality, prayer, formation and service — with Father Greg Paffel, pastor of St. Paul and Our Lady of the Angels parishes in Sauk Centre; St. Alexius, West Union; St. Francis de Sales, Belgrade; St. Donatus, Brooten; and Sts. Peter and Paul, Elrosa.
Father Paffel will discuss the “stewardship way of life.” Is hospitality more than having greeters? How can we measure prayer? Who should be the focus of our stewardship formation? Is service really that important?
- Thursday, Aug. 27: 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
“Communicating Stewardship in the Digital Age,” with Tommy Rose, client manager/digital marketing manager for Catholic Stewardship Consultants.
Rose will address how digital platforms, including email communications, the parish website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other social media vehicles are vital evangelization tools for parishes.
- Thursday, Aug. 27, 10:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
“Panel Discussion: Stewardship Best Practices from our Parishes and Area Catholic Communities,” with Randy Meyer of St. Mary, Alexandria; Ione Koep of Our Lady of Victory, Fergus Falls; Father Mark Innocenti, pastor of St. Andrew, Elk River; and Father Mitchell Bechtold, pastor of Christ the King, Browerville and St. Joseph, Clarissa.
There is no fee for this year’s event, which is sponsored by the diocesan Office of Communications and Development with assistance from the diocesan Stewardship Advisory Council.
For more information about the presentations, or to register for one or more sessions, visit www.stcdio.org/stewardshipweek2020.
This story was updated Aug. 16.
Nice article to promote stewardship week!